'We need friends': In his annual state-of-the-nation address, Putin made it clear he wanted to work with Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering a speech during his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin struck an unusually conciliatory tone in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Thursday, saying Moscow wanted to get along with the incoming US administration and was looking to make friends not enemies.

Putin has used previous set-piece speeches to lash out at the West and the US in particular, but he reined in his criticism this time and focused most of his speech on domestic social and economic issues.

"We don't want confrontation with anyone. We don't need it. We are not seeking and have never sought enemies. We need friends," Putin told Russia's political elite gathered in one of the Kremlin's grandest halls.

"We are ready to cooperate with the new US administration. We have a shared responsibility to ensure international security."

Any US-Russia cooperation would have to be mutually beneficial and even-handed, he said.

Putin has spoken previously of his hope that US President-elect Donald Trump may help restore tattered US-Russia relations, and analysts said he was unlikely to want to dial up anti-Western rhetoric before Trump's inauguration in January.

The Russian leader said he was hoping to find common ground with Washington on fighting global terrorism in particular.

That was a reference to Syria, where Moscow is backing President Bashar Assad, while the outgoing US administration has supported anti-Assad rebels.